Wednesday, June 18, 2008

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army Soldiers seized eight weapons caches June 17 as they continue efforts to make Sadr City a safer place.

At approximately 6 a.m., Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, discovered two weapons caches. The first cache consisted of two 130 mm rounds and one 122 mm round. The second cache consisted of three 57 mm rounds and 31, 12.7 mm rounds.

A few minutes later, Iraqi Army Soldiers in the same unit uncovered a cache consisting of two RPG-7 rounds and one rifle.

At 6:45 a.m., Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 1st Bn., 3rd Bde., 1st IA Div., discovered one RPK machine gun, one rifle, two rocket launchers, an AK-47,10 AK-47 magazines, two 60 mm rounds, a radio, an Egyptian sniper rifle, two remote-control devices, two rolls of detonation cord, five initiation devices, and one RPG-7 anti-personnel round.

Soldiers serving with the 2nd Bn., 3rd Bde., 1st IA Div., seized two more weapons caches at approximately 7 a.m. The first cache included two 155 mm improvised explosive devices, nine 120 mm rounds, one 82 mm mortar round, three grenades, and one 12.7 mm machine gun. The second cache consisted of one 155 mm round, one 122 mm round, and one 100 mm round.

There were 96 PKC rounds and two 82 mm mortar fuses seized in the second cache.

In other areas of Baghdad, Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized other weapons caches as well.

Soldiers serving with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, found 21 57 mm artillery shells, 87 57mm warheads, and one mortar round at approximately 9 a.m. in an area north of Baghdad.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., in the West Rashid district, policemen with the 5th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, seized four rocket rails and seven 60 mm mortar rounds.

“Since May 20, 270 weapons and munitions caches have been seized by Iraqi Security and Coalition forces in the Baghdad area,” said Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff, MND-B and the 4th Infantry Division spokesman.

“These caches included 449 explosively formed projectiles and improvised explosive devices, 1,268 mortar rounds, 606 rocket-propelled grenades, 178 rockets and 3,012 rifles. This is very good news for the Iraqi people, our Soldiers and the folks back home.”